Pin curl clip



May 5, 1959 c. R. COCHRAN PIN CURL CLIP Filed Aug. 9, 1957 INVENTOR: CmuzLes ZCccHzAU United States Patent PIN CURL CLIP Charles R. Cochran, Chicago, 111.

Application August 9, 1951, set-m No. 677,365 6 Claims. (Cl. 132-46) r This invention relates generally to hair fasteners. :T More particularly, the invention has reference to clips for pin curls, a clip of this type being a fastener specifically designed to firmly hold pin curls. Pin curls, as wellknown in the hairdressing art, are small, round, flat curls which may be waved either clockwise or counterclockwisetin direction, and which generally lie closely to the scalp. Following forming and setting of the pin curls, a wave is processed in the hair by the later combing of the hair, this to provide a desired hair style or coiffure.

One important object of the present invention is to provide a clip of the character described which will comprise no more than two pieces of material, so cut and bent to shape as to be given, when in their assembled relation, a coaction or cooperative effect which will provide a smooth, easy tension while yet providing a clip that will be sturdy, powerful in operation, and economical in respect to the manufacture thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pin curl clip which will be formed with smooth, fiat handles, to promote ease and comfort in operation, with said handles being so formed as to provide substantial areas against which the fingers may be pressed, the construction nevertheless being such as to prevent abbreviation or distortion of the handles by the coactively operating, hair-gripping portions of the clips.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pin curl clip which will include upper. and lower members, the upper member having prongs that will be so formed as to be free of any crossbar or obstruction for ward of the merger of said prongs into the handle portion of the upper member, thereby to provide a construction wherein the prongs will enter rather than push the a hair out of position, when free application of the pin curl clip in this particular manner is desired. Still another object is to provide a pin curl clip which will be so designed as to be of a particular length and width that will meet requirements of the trade. It is thus proposed to improve over clips previously devised, that have failed to meet commercial acceptance, by reason of the particular proportions thereof, found unsuitable in the art to which the invention relates.

Still another object is to provide a pin curl clip, the prongsof which will be of sufiicient length to amply extend across the full diameter of a pin curl, with the clip nevertheless having a handle short enough to prevent intrusion by the handle into the area of an adjacent curl, but long enough to facilitate manipulation of the handle.

Yet another'object of importance is to provide a clip of the character described that will be capable of manufacture at an extremely low cost, by mass production methods, thereby to promote commercial feasibility of the clip, with this object to be achieved without loss of strength and sturdiness, thus avoiding the deficiencies of certain clips of the prior art, which, though capable of manufacture at a comparatively low cost, tend to produce 2,884,934 Patented May 5, 1959 2 spring fatigue, after use over a considerable period of time.

A further object of importance is to provide a clip which will include a spring formed integrally in the body portion of the clip, such spring being of a widtli equal to the maximum width of the clip, so that, by ratio of its size, the spring will be substantially stronger and more durable than any spring that might be formed from within the confines of the material used, even though said material used is one of the cheapest grades.

Yet another object is to provide a U-spring in the clip, so designed that in its particular form and relationship tothe remaining components of the device, said spring .will create a reserve tension and will, as a result, tend toward less fatigue than is true of flat springs extending at an angle from a rigid base, used in a manner to force the spring away from the base rather than toward the same, this being a characteristic noted in connection with prior art devices.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hair clip according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view substantially on line 2--2 of Figure 1, the upper member or jaw being shown in full and dotted lines in its closed and open positions, respectively;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the clip, on the .same scale as Figure 2; and a Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the clip, on the scale of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the clip constituting the present invention may appropriately be considered as comprising two components, each of which is formed from a single length of fiat, wide, spring metal, although of course, this particular material might be varied, within the scope of the appended claims.

In any event, the clip includes first and second members generally designated 10, 11 respectively.

The members 10, 11 are each formed from a length of flat, resilient material. Considering first the construction of the member 10, this includes a handle which, when seen in longitudinal section, as in Figure 2, is of U-shape, having forwardly convergent portions 12, 14 integrally connected at their outer ends by a bight portion 16. Portion 14, as shown in Figure 3, tapers in a forward direction, for a purpose to be made presently apparent. As will be noted from Figure 2, the bight portion 16 forms a spring, which will permit the portions 12, 14 to flex slightly toward each other, against the restraint of the spring. Further, it will be noted from Figure 3 that the spring extends the full width of the handle.

At its forward end, the portion 12 merges into a connecting portion 18 which lies in a plane disposed at a wide obtuse angle to the portion 14. The connecting portion 18 declines in a direction forwardly from the handle, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and over its full length has a longitudinally and centrally extending slot 20 continuing into an elongated slot 21 that extends the full length of a jaw which, through the provision of the slot 21, is bifurcated to provide parallel, relatively narrow prong elements 22.

integrally formed'upon the forward end of the portion 14 is a forwardly projecting, downwardly opening hook pin curl. Upon release of the handles, the spring tension assspss 3 to particular advantage in Figure 4, merely comprises an elongated, fiat member having an obtusely angular handle 28 and jaw 30. Handle 28 overlies the portion 12, as shown in Figure 2, diverging in respect to the portion 12 in a rearward direction. Handle 28, at its juncture with 6 the jaw 30, is in contact with the portion 12 where said portion merges into the connecting portion 18.

The jaw 30 is formed with an elongated slot 32 extending longitudinally and centrally thereof, and opening upon the forward end of the jaw. Slot 32 terminates short of the juncture between. jaw 30 and handle 28, and adjacent the inner end of slot 32, jaw 30 is formed with an opening 34, thus defining a crossbar 36 which separates the slot 32 from the opening 34.

The crossbar 36 is adapted to be embraced by the hook 24, in the assembled condition of the parts, as shown in Figures 1-3.

It will be seen that when the crossbar 36 is engaged in the hook, the handle 28 diverges rearwardly from the handle of the member 10, with the member 12 pivoting on the member immediately rearwardly from hook 24.

When the handles are pressed toward each other, the movement of handle 28 toward the handle of the member 10, that is, from the full to the dotted line position of Figure 2, creates a pressure in an opposite direction against the hook 24, so that the book 24 is shifted from the full to the dotted line position of Figure 2, against the restraint of the U-shaped spring 16. This spreads the jaws of the device, so that they are adapted to receive a asserts itself, so that the jaws shift toward a closed position. v

The construction has certain desirable characteristics, which have been touched upon in the objects hereinbefore set forth. Not only is the clip formed entirely from two pieces of relatively inexpensive, resilient, flat material, but also the clip is characterized by the ease with which said pieces may be assembled. Therefore, the clip is of a low cost, so as to adapt the same for manufacture by mass production methods.

Apart .from the above, although made at a very low cost from inexpensive material, the clip, nevertheless, is possessed of a high degree of strength and sturdiness. This results from the use of the U-spring, taken in conjunction with the particular form and relative arrangement of the jaws or prongs, handles, crossbar, and hook. In this way, the clip meets the stringent requirements of the art, it being important that a clip used for the purposes previously described herein be designed for swift and easy engagement with a pin curl, and for equally swift and easy disengagement from the curl. Still further, when the clip is applied, it does not interfere with adjacent curls, and still further, the clip has the adaptability for confining the particular curl in a manner to insure the re tention of the curl in its proper position, until such time as the clip is to be removed and the curl combed out.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be il lustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pin curl clip comprising first and second members each formed from a length of resilient spring metal material, the first member including a handle, a jaw projecting forwardly from the handle, and a hook also projecting forwardly from the handle in overlying relation to said jaw and spring biased toward said jaw, the second member including a handle and a jaw projecting forwardly therefrom in overlying relation to the first jaw, the 7 jaw of the second member including a crossbar engaged in said hook, said second member pivoting on the first member adjacent the hook, in position for shifting of the handles toward each other to spread the jaws against the restraint of the spring bias of the hook, the first member including a connecting portion extending between the handle and jaw thereof with the hook opening toward and being spaced outwardly from said connecting portion, the connecting portion being at an obtuse angle to both the handle and jaw of the first member, the handle and jaw of the second member being connected directly to each other at an obtuse angle to each other, the pivot point of the second member being disposed at the juncture between the handle and jaw thereof.

2. A pin curl clip comprising first and second members each formed from a length of resilient spring metal material, the first member including a U-shaped handle having first and second portions and a curved bight connecting said portions and constituting a spring tensioned to bias the portions away from each other, said first member further including a jaw integral with and projecting forwardly from one of said portions and a hook integral with and projecting forwardly from the other portion in overlying relation to saidjaw, the second member including a handle and a jaw projecting forwardly therefrom in overlying relation to the first jaw, the jaw of the second member including a crossbar engaging in said hook, said second member pivoting on the first member adjacent the hook, in position for shifting of the handles toward each other to spread the jaws against the restraint of the spring bias of the hook.

3. A pin curl clip comprising first and second members each formed from a length of resilient spring metal material, the first member including a U-shaped handle having first and second portions and a curved bight connecting said portions and constituting a spring tensioned to bias the portions away from each other, said first member further including a jaw integral with and projecting forwardly from one of said portions and a hook integral with and projecting forwardly from the other portion in overlying relation to said jaw, the second member including a handle and a jaw projecting forwardly therefrom in overlying relation to the first jaw, the jaw of the second member including a cross bar engaging in said hook, said second member pivoting on the first member adjacent the hook, in position for shifting of the handles toward each other to spread the jaws against the restraint of the spring bias of the hook, the handle and jaw of the second member lying at a wide obtuse angle to each other with the pivot axis of the second member being at the juncture of said handle and jaw thereof.

4. A pin curl clip comprising first and second members each formed from a length of resilient spring metal material, the first rnember including a U-shaped handle having first and second portions and a curved bight connecting said portions and constituting a spring tensioned to bias the portions away from each other, said first member further including a jaw integral with and projecting forwardly from one of said portions and a hook integral with and projecting forwardly from the other portion in overlying relation to said jaw, the second member including a handle and a jaw projecting forwardly therefrom in overlying relation to the first jaw, the jaw of the second member including a crossbar engaging in said hook, said second member pivoting on the first member adjacent the hook, in position for shifting of the handles toward each other to spread the jaws against the restraint of the spring bias of the hook, the handle and jaw of the second member lying at a wide obtuse angle to each other with the pivot axis of the second member being at the juncture of said handle and jaw thereof, said firs member having an elongated longitudinal slot extendim the full length of said jaw thereof, the hook projecting through said slot.

5. A pin curl clip comprising first and second members each formed from a length of resilient spring metal material, the first member including a U-shaped handle having first and second portions and a curved bight connecting said portions and constituting a spring tensioned to bias the portions away from each other, said first member further including a jaw integral with and projecting forwardly from one of said portions and a hook integral with and projecting forwardly from the other portion in overlying relation' to said jaw, the second member including a handle and a jaw projecting forwardly therefrom in overlying relation to the first jaw, the jaw of the second member including a crossbar engaging in said hook, said second member pivoting on the first member adjacent the hook, in position for shifting of the handles toward each other to spread the jaws against the restraint of the spring bias of the hook, the handle and jaw of the second member lying at a wide obtuse angle to each other with the pivot axis of the second member being at the juncture of said handle and jaw thereof, said first member having an elongated longitudinal slot extending the full length of said jaw thereof, the hook projecting through said slot, said spring extending the full width of the handle of the first member, the other portion of the first member being reduced progressively in width in a direction forwardly from the spring for extension of the hook through said slot.

6. A pin curl clip comprising first and second members each formed from a length of resilient spring metal material, the first member including a U-shaped handle having first and second portions and a curved bight eonnectingsaid portions and constituting a spring tensioned to bias the portions away from each other, said first member further including a jaw integral with and projecting forwardly from one of said portions and a hook integral with and projecting forwardly from the other portion in overlying relation to said jaw, the second member including a-handle and a jaw projecting forwardly therefrom in overlying relation to the first jaw, the jaw of the second member including a crossbar engaging in said hook, said second member pivoting on the first member adjacent the hook, in position for shiftingof the handles toward each other to spread the jaws against the restraint of the spring bias of the hook, the handle and jaw of the second member lying at a wide obtuse angle to each other with the pivot axis of the second member being at the juncture of said handle and jaw thereof, said first member having an elongated longitudinal slot extending the full length of said jaw thereof, the hook projecting through said slot, the second member having a bifurcated jaw defining a longitudinal slot in the second member, said second member including a cross bar at the inner end of the slot thereof, said cross bar constituting the part of the second member engaging in the hook.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,798,499 Reiner July 9, 1957 

